


Gatito

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Reaper76 [8]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Cat Ears, Cat/Human Hybrids, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Kitty!Jack, M/M, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 20:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16605092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: Having a cat-human hybrid for a partner was never going to be dull, or easy, even without Omnics and Overwatch getting in the way. A collection on one-shots featuring Kitty!Jack.





	1. Chapter 1

    Gabriel frowned, glancing up from the paperwork that seemed to be making less sense the longer he stared at it and staring at the clock. He’d heard the announcement that Jack’s team were back at least half an hour ago, and there had been no call to say that there were any fatalities or serious injuries, a miracle these days, although maybe not surprising with Jack in the field. His partner was obsessed with making sure that everyone else got home safely, often at the cost of his own wellbeing, but the medics would have contacted him if anything had happened to Jack, wouldn’t they? He scowled a modicum of doubt creeping in, glaring at the clock as though it had personally offended him, it didn’t normally take this long for Jack to breeze through the post-mission check-up and make his way up to his office. Especially on a day like today…

   An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach at that thought. Jack could be unpredictable at times, partly due to his feline nature and partly because he just liked to mess with Gabriel, but he rarely fooled around just after a mission. Realising that he wasn’t going to be able to focus on the report in front of him, not that he’d had any interest in it in the first place he set the file aside, and he was halfway out his seat when the communicator went off. For a moment, he froze, the uneasy feeling turning to alarm as he stared at the flashing blue light, and he was relieved that no one was around to see how badly his fingers trembled as he reached for it.

“Reyes.”

_“Sir.”_ It took him a moment to place the voice, vaguely recalling the new doctor that Jack had insisted on recruiting a few weeks ago. Angela…he thought her name was, the name bringing to mind blonde hair and flashing blue eyes, and a fierce personality that had been just what their medical team had needed. Realising that she was waiting a response of some kind he grunted in acknowledgement, he was never one for chit-chat, and guessing why she was calling had done nothing to improve his mood. “We need you down in the med-bay, we have a slight situation with your…with Jack Morrison.” He caught the slight slip and grimaced, they really were the worst kept secret in the place, although he had to admire her swift recovery, Jack had known what he was doing when he brought her on board, speaking of which…

“How bad is it?” _Jack, what have you done this time?_

“He’s not in any danger at the moment, it’s just…” She was forced to pause as there was a crash and a pained yell in the distant, and then a loud, wailing yowl that Gabriel immediately recognised, and he bit back a groan. “Please hurry.” The call cut out just like that and this time Gabriel did groan, pinching the bridge of his nose, that kind of yowl never meant anything good for anyone, let alone him and for half a moment he was tempted to let the medical team deal with it. However, he hadn’t missed the fact that Angela had tempered her reassurance and he sighed, knowing that he wouldn’t settle until he saw for himself that Jack was all right.

_Damn you Jack Morrison, couldn’t you behave yourself just once?_

****

   Walking into the medical bay a few minutes later it wasn’t hard to find where Jack was. If the gathered nurses hadn’t been enough of a hint, the loud, angry rumbles filling the air were like a flashing neon sign and he sighed. _Oh Jack…_

“Commander Reyes,” Angela had clearly been waiting for him, the relief in her expression clear to see as he moved across to join her, sharp eyes noting the spots of blood on her otherwise pristine lab-coat and the scratches she bore on her wrists and across one cheek.

“How is he? What happened?” He knew that he should have probably addressed those questions the other way around, but it was hard to focus on anything but the fact that Jack was angry and distressed, wincing as a particularly feral yowl rang out. It had been a long time since Jack had been this bad, and he couldn’t quite keep the accusation out of his gaze as he focused on her. If she had done something…

“He has a GSW to the left side, it appears to be largely a flesh wound,” Angela replied evenly, appearing unfazed by his expression, but he caught the way her eyes flickered towards the source of the noise when there was another loud yowl. “However, when I tried to get him into a bed so that I could take a better look…this happened.” Now she faltered a little and Gabriel sighed, he couldn’t really blame her for being out of her depth, patients like Jack were few and far between and his partner was usually at least a little more cooperative than he was proving today.

   Seeing that she had nothing more to say for the moment he sighed, turning his head as he heard one of the nurse’s yelp in alarm, guessing that she had tried to approach Jack and failed and behind him Angela stirred, fixing him with a pleading look. “Commander, please. He’s scaring my staff and he needs to be treated as soon as possible.”

“Leave it to me,” he offered her a brief grin, before turning and striding purposefully towards the group of nurses, gently shooing them out of the way and warning them to stand back. The speed with which they moved to obey would have been amusing if it hadn’t afforded him with a clear view of Jack, and he faltered for a moment, unable to focus on anything but the blood staining Jack’s side. He had never been good at seeing Jack hurt, their SEP days had been a trial and that was before they’d been anything more than friends, but it was worse now, and his hands curled into fists as he found himself fighting the urge to just haul the idiot out and make him accept treatment.

   However, he knew for a fact that wouldn’t end well for either of them. He still had scars on his shoulder from the last time he had attempted that, and so he forced himself to take a deep breath before taking a cautious step forward, arching an eyebrow at Jack when the movement earned him a low hiss, followed by a rumbling yowl.

   Jack had managed to lodge himself into the tight space between the corner and a storage cabinet, something that should’ve looked ridiculous considering his size, especially with the way the fur on his ears and tail was currently puffed out. Instead he looked…pitiful? _Cute,_ Gabriel’s treacherous mind whispered, and he hastily quashed that thought before it could slip out as that was a sure-fire way to make sure that Jack didn’t talk to him for a few days. Although it was true, he had to admit as Jack finally seemed to realise he was there, blinking up at him with wide, blue eyes as a warning noise rose in the back of his throat. Clearly, Jack had no intention of making this easy for him, and he narrowed his eyes as he stared at Jack, unmoved by the pleading look in his partner’s eyes, although he didn’t say anything as he moved to crouch down in front of Jack. Not too close though as he caught the way Jack’s hand shifted and glimpsed the sharp claws that were ready to lash out at a moment’s notice if he made one wrong move.

“Hey.”

   It seemed that Jack had been expecting him to do something more proactive, because he blinked, surprised by the quiet greeting. They stared at one another for a long moment, Jack’s eyes narrowing as he stared at Gabriel, tail lashing against his leg in agitation before he sighed and returned the greeting, voice barely audible.

“Hey.”

“Are you going to tell me what this is all about?” Gabriel kept his voice even, non-judgemental, but Jack still bristled, ears going flat against his head as he glanced away. “Jack…” _Please don’t be a stubborn fool about this_ … That was a pointless wish. Jack had been born stubborn and it was one of the things that had made Gabriel fall for him in the first place, but at times like this it was more of a curse than anything.

“What?!” It came out as more of a hiss than anything else and Jack was still refusing to look at him, his tail moving faster and faster and Gabriel shuffled back just to be on the safe side. That seemed to grab Jack’s attention and he lifted his head, ears flicking backwards and forwards, an unhappy noise rumbling in his throat. “Sorry…” Gabriel admired the way he could make an apology sound so sulky, but he didn’t speak, sensing a shift in Jack’s attitude and waiting to see if he would speak up of his own accord. Unlikely, as it was usually like pulling teeth, especially if the reason was a silly one. However, to demonstrate his willingness to wait he dropped from his crouch and settled in a cross-legged position on the ground and waited.

    Another unhappy yowl rang out, and he glanced up to see that Angela had tried to take a cautious step towards them and he hastily shook his head. Jack might be calming down, but he still wasn’t calm enough to deal with someone else. Thankfully she heeded the silent message, leaving him free to refocus on Jack who had hunkered further back into his hiding place, ears flat against his head once more and Gabriel sighed as he caught the flicker of pain in the narrowed eyes.

“Come on Jack, you need to get that wound looked at,” he murmured softly, pleadingly, unsurprised when Jack hissed at him and retreated further. “Will you at least tell me why you’re hiding?” Had he been wrong about Angela? Had he missed something? He didn’t think so, but he wanted to make sure before he resorted to desperate measures to get Jack out of his hiding place.

“I don’t want to be stuck in here.” The words tiptoed out, accompanied by another hiss as Jack huddled in on himself, curling his tail around his legs, although the tip continued to twitch. Gabriel hummed softly. There was some truth in that statement, neither of them had ever been good about laying around and being in the medical bay brought back unpleasant memories of their darkest days in SEP. Hell, even then they’d tried to endure as much as possible in the privacy of their shared quarters just, so they could avoid more doctors, more needles and it was a habit that prevailed even to this day. However, there was something about the way that Jack wasn’t quite meeting his gaze and the way he had taken to clawing at the floor by his feet that told him that there was more to it than that.

“And?”

   Jack shot him an irritated look, no doubt cursing the fact that they knew one another too well for him to get away with that half-truth, before he sighed in defeat. “It’s…” The rest came out as an unintelligible mumble, a blatant attempt to avoid giving him a clear answer and Gabriel just stared at him, making Jack scowl and hiss softly before ducking his head. “You told me to come back in one piece, that you had plans and I…” He gestured helplessly at his side, wincing as the movement jostled his wound and this time Gabriel was the one to growl under his breath.

   Yes, he’d had plans. It was supposed to be their first proper Valentines together, the last couple not counting as the first one had seen them both suffering through their worst night in SEP, their bodies trying to their themselves apart. And the last one had been spent out in the field, Gabriel delirious from an infection and Jack frantically trying to keep him grounded, stay on watch and drive back any Omnics that found their hiding place. Tonight, was supposed to break that trend. Ana had helped him with the cooking, and he’d tidied up their quarters and tried to make it as cheesy and romantic as he could, roses and petals and everything. _But…_

“Of all the…” All thoughts of doing this gently vanished from his mind as he shot to his feet with a growl, undaunted when Jack recoiled with a hiss. He was done playing around. “Jack Morrison, you are a bloody idiot.”

   He didn’t give Jack a chance to say anything, not in the mood for his protests or even an apology right now, closing the distance between them and gripping his partner by the shoulders. Although he wasn’t going to take any nonsense from Jack now that he knew that he was just being an idiot, he was still more gentle than he appeared as he lifted Jack, highly aware of his injury. He managed to get Jack to his feet before Jack caught up with what was happening, and then he found himself with an armful of wiggling, hissing super-soldier. No wonder Angela and the nurses hadn’t been able to handle him. Gabriel winced as sharp claws sank into his skin, but he didn’t release his grip, ignoring the chorus of furious yowls and growls as he hauled Jack towards the closest bed.

   Muttering quiet thanks that he’d also gone through SEP he hoisted Jack up and gently deposited him on the bed, finding himself promptly having to tighten his hold as Jack tried to skitter off the bed once more, his angry yowling increasing in volume when he realised that he couldn’t escape. The struggle continued for a few more minutes, and Gabriel knew that in any other situation he would probably be impressed with Jack’s stamina, but right now it was wearing on his nerves. He was caught by surprise when Jack abruptly went limp beneath him, a mournful meow slipping free as he slowly released his painful grip on Gabriel’s skin. “Are you going to behave now?” Gabriel demanded, loosening his grip but not daring to release him completely until he knew that Jack was going to behave, although the exhausted set to Jack’s shoulders and the way his tail now lay limply over the side of the bed as he nodded, told him that the idiot probably lacked the energy to fight even if he wanted to.

   Still he was wary as he released his grip on Jack, waiting to make sure it wasn’t a trick before gently rearranging him into a more comfortable position on the bed, not liking the way that Jack was so pliant in his hands even if he didn’t want another fight. It just wasn’t Jack and he swallowed nervously as he glanced at the blood staining his partner’s side.

“Angela!” It was an order and a plea all at once, and he was pleased to hear her immediately springing into action, barking orders at the nurses even as she moved towards him. Jack’s ears twitched at her approach, a weak noise of protest rising in his throat and Gabriel hastily moved to grip one hand, his other hand reaching up to pet the twitching ears. “Easy Jack, just let her take care of you.”

“I’m sorry…”

“I know,” Gabriel soothed him, watching with sharp eyes as Angela began to cut through the material around the wound. “And I’m going to give you an earful about it, later…” He hissed sympathetically when Jack yowled as the material as pulled away from the wound, not protesting as claws pressed against his skin once more, and instead turning his attention fully to Jack, meeting his gaze and managing a soft smile. “But, I’m just glad you came home. Everything else can wait.” Jack stared searchingly at him for a moment and Gabriel held still, not sure what he was looking for, but making sure not to look away and after a moment Jack nodded and relaxed as best as he could with Angela working on his side. Feeling Jack’s tail curling around the back of his leg he smiled, understanding the silent message and gently squeezing the hand he was holding. “Yes, I’ll stay with you.”


	2. Chapter 2

   Jack’s ears twitched with irritation as he glared at his desk, certain that the pile of paperwork still to be done was the same size it had been when he had entered his office that morning, even though he knew he had managed to complete quite a few files and sign off on all the urgent reports that had needed his attention. He was also certain that this was the real reason why Gabriel had shown no interest whatsoever in the job when it had come up, he had been in command longer than Jack, and had probably known that this promotion meant paperwork and the bastard hadn’t shared that information. Jack hissed under his breath, tail lashing behind him as he glowered at the papers, not really seeing them, and instead imagining the grin that his partner would probably be wearing when he complained later.

“I’m going to kill him,” he muttered to himself, clawing lightly at his desk, trying not to imagine doing the same thing to Gabriel and refusing to even look at the scratching post tucked against the corner behind him. He had been furious the first time he’d found one the blasted things in his office, hissing at Gabriel and telling him to get rid of it, swearing blind that he would never use it. However, it seemed as though Gabriel knew him better than he knew himself because within two days he had utterly destroyed that first scratching post, just needing something to help alleviate the stress of never-ending meetings and paperwork, the pressure of being the perfect poster boy.

“No, you won’t.” Jack started at the sudden voice, fighting the urge to shoot out of his chair, fur bristling for a moment as he glanced across at Ana who was sat on the couch that he’d insisted on shoving into the office for less official meetings. He’d forgotten she was there. He’d been completely engrossed in his paperwork because no matter how boring it was, he knew that the slightest mistake on his part would be blown out of proportion and therefore everything had to be perfect. Although by the looks of the gun pieces now covering the low table and the couch, Ana had been busy too, but now her attention was on him, a small smirk playing on her lips as she added quietly. “You’d miss him too much if you killed him, you can always give him a good scratch or two. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.” The knowing glint in her eyes had Jack blushing and spluttering.

“Ana!” He knew that he had just confirmed her suspicions. Not that they could even be called that anymore as they had been caught or nearly caught so many times that they were officially the worst kept secret in the history of Overwatch. “Don’t say that kind of thing out loud,” he muttered, no real heat in his voice and with a hint of resignation because he knew that she wouldn’t stop. She had admitted long ago that it was one of the small pleasures in life being able to needle the pair of them and sit back and enjoy the fireworks that followed. Instead, he frowned as he glanced back at her, realizing that he had never even asked why she was there when she had waltzed in a couple of hours ago. “Tell me again why you’re spending the day stuck in my office?” _Apart from to tease me about Gabe and our physical relationship…_

“To stop you going stir crazy?” Ana asked her smirk turning into a warmer smile as she tilted a head to his mountains of paperwork before her expression softened further. “I haven’t seen you properly in weeks Jack.” Jack winced at that, aware that he hadn’t been spending nearly enough time with the old crowd recently and that he had been forced to bail on the trip to take Fareeha to the zoo a few weeks ago, the holovids and photos they had sent him being a poor substitute. He hated it, but at the moment it seemed to take all his time and energy just to do his job and sneak in time with Gabe. She had clearly caught his wince, and the shift in his mood because she sighed. “That wasn’t a dig Jack, I know that you’re busy and I’ve been out in the field a lot as well. I just miss you, and I wanted to spend some time with you.”

“Even though I’m doing paperwork?”

“Even though you’re doing paperwork,” she confirmed, and he relaxed as a small smile crept onto his face, the quiet purr that followed startling them both and Ana laughed as he coloured slightly. “Get back to work, I fully intend to drag both you and Gabriel down to eat with me tonight, so you better get your paperwork done Strike Commander.”

    Jack wondered if she knew just how much he needed that. The easy, acceptance she was showing him and his current position, and the flippant use of the title that was becoming heavier and harder to bear with each day that passed. Probably. She had always known when something was bothering him or Gabriel and how to drag it out of them, something that they both cursed and thanked her for at times. He shot her another glance, warm with gratitude, his smile reaching his eyes this time before he reluctantly reached for the report he had been working on, making a mental note to talk to Gabe about using up some of their leave and trying to catch up with Angela and the others as well. _As if they’d let both of us take time off at once_ , he thought, a hint of bitterness seeping in with the thought and he hastily pushed those thoughts away, focusing instead on the thought of spending time with Ana and Gabe later, and returning to his work with fresh determination.

**

    He wasn’t sure how long he’d been working for, and he probably didn’t want to know, because although the pile had shrunk now, it was still far too high. Ana had been steadily working on her weapons, the quiet noises oddly soothing, reminding him of simpler times when he had just been a solider and not an office-bound figurehead and reassuring him that he wasn’t alone for once.

   However, something else caught his attention, and he faltered, fingers tensing around the pen in his hand as his ears swept backwards and forwards, searching for a threat event though he knew that the base was currently one of the safest places to be. There was no change in the noises, and he frowned, wondering if he had been imagining things. Maybe his brain was trying to come up with excuses to give up on work for the day, but then he tensed, his entire body shifting forwards as his eyes caught a tiny dot of red moving across the carpet on the other side of the desk. For a moment, he was frozen, panic flooding him. He had seen that light take too many lives, even had it aimed at him more times than he could count and every instinct he had was screaming at him to duck, to get out of the firing line.

   No, not every instinct. Even as he lifted his head enough to realise that it was Ana, her gun’s scope held in her hand as she carefully cleaned it, another urge rose up, and he fought tooth and nail to contain it, even as his tail twitched, and he felt himself beginning to wriggle in his seat. The light was moving across the carpet, darting from side to side as Ana moved it and a small growl rumbled in the back of his throat. It was teasing him, taunting him, begging to be caught, and he shifted again, ears twitching as he hunkered down, sternly trying to tell himself not to do it.

   Maybe it was the long hours of tedious work or the general dissatisfaction with the job in general, but all it took was another wiggle of that blasted light, and his self-restraint snapped. With a yowl, he lunged out of his seat, barely aware of his carefully stacked paperwork going flying in all directions or of Ana’s startled cry as he sprang for the little dot of light. Of course, Ana moved in response to his sudden movement, and just as his hands, claws already extended grabbed at the carpet where the dot had been it shifted, darting across the floor away from him and he let out a soft noise of frustration.

“Jack?”

    He could hear the concern and confusion in her voice, but he can’t find his voice to reassure her, too focused on that little dot of light that is just out of reach. He lunged for it again, this time nearly colliding with the table and the blasted thing goes skittering off again, and he hissed because he’d nearly had it…nearly, nearly… his head turned, frantically searching for his prey, tail swishing behind him as he let his feline instincts take over. He wanted to catch it. He needed to catch it.

   He didn’t hear Ana sigh or catch the understanding expression that appeared on her face as she glances down at the scope in her hands. He was vaguely aware of her warm chuckle, one of his ears flickering towards her for a minute before he froze.

It was back.

    The little red dot moved slowly but steadily across the floor just a short distance away, close enough for him to lunge for, but not close enough for him to catch from where he was. This time he was a little more cautious as he gathered himself, wiggling as he prepared to leap, determined not to let it slip away again, completely focused on it. He tensed…it had stopped for a moment and his tail lashed from side to side and then he was springing forward, skidding across the carpet and triumphantly slamming his hands down on the spot where the dot was. But when he cautiously lifted them a few seconds later the dot was nowhere to be seen, and his eyes narrowed, head shooting up as he searched for it. Nothing, and then there it was, again just a short distance away, but not close enough to grab and he yowled in frustration even as he launched himself forward, certain that he was going to get it this time and hissing when it slipped away yet again.

****

    Gabriel ignored the curious looks he was attracting as he hurried along the corridor towards Jack’s office, glancing down at his communicator to make sure that he hasn’t missed another call. Ana had contacted him a few minutes ago, her voice sounding strange and she had been unusually brief, just telling him to get there quickly and that it was something to do with Jack before hanging up. That had been worrying on its own, especially as he knew that Jack had been more stressed than he had been letting on over the last few days, but what had made it worse was that he’d heard a loud crash and a familiar yowl just before Ana had hung up on him.

Jack…

   He was still a few doors away when he heard a loud crash from Jack’s office, and for half a second, he froze. They’re supposed to be safe here. Jack’s supposed to be safe. Another loud bang shook him out of his shock, and he broke into a run, his heart in his mouth and when he reached the office he didn’t waste time with knocking or announcing his presence, just flinging the door open and freezing again. This time in shock as he watched Jack go skidding across the office floor, seemingly of his own violation, and Gabriel winced a split second before his partner collided heavily with the wall, going too fast to avoid the impact.

“What the…?” He didn’t get chance to finish the question because Jack was already up and moving again, seemingly undaunted by the collision and Gabe’s breath caught for a moment as he studied Jack. It’s been a long time since he’d seen the blue eyes so bright or his ears perked so high.

   The vision didn’t last long because Jack crouched, wiggling, his tail lashing behind him and his gaze completely focused on something else. Gabriel turned his head, catching the brief flicker of red before Jack charged forward again, skidding across the floor again and narrowly avoiding a second collision and it’s as he sees the light dart out of Jack’s reach again that comprehension dawned, and he glanced across at where Ana was stood by the couch. She met his gaze for a minute, grinning, and then moved her hand, and they both watched as Jack yowled and launched himself at the dot again, coming painfully close to catching it before Ana skilfully flicked it up and away again.

    Gabriel could feel the urge to laugh rising as he watched Ana leading Jack on a merry chase around the office, letting him come within an inch of catching it, just to snatch it away again. Yet no matter how many times he missed, Jack seemed determined not to give up, completely focused on the task at hand and Gabriel is fairly sure that his partner didn’t even know he’s there. It’s utterly ridiculous. He’s seen Jack do many strange things in the past, even encouraged them just to see Jack smile and relax, his eyes flicking to the scratching post in the corner. However, he wasn’t not sure that he’d ever seen Jack quite this playful, or this frustrated, he amended as Jack yowled loudly, tail lashing properly now as he rose after another collision with the wall, eyes frantically searching for the dot again.

    He was so focused on Jack, studying his expressions and trying not to focus too much on the cute wiggles that accompany each lunge, that he missed the mischievous glint in Ana’s eyes as she glanced across at him or the smirk that follows a moment later as she flicks the scope up. It’s only when Jack’s attention is suddenly completely and utterly focused on him - or rather his chest that he realised what was happening, glancing down to see the red dot hovering over his heart, and he had a brief second to contemplate that even when messing around Ana was still a sniper at heart. Then he heard movement and his eyes widened as Jack launched himself forward, still completely focused on his target.

“JACK!” His protest fell on deaf ears, and a moment later he found himself flat on his back, slightly stunned from the impact and with Jack squirming against him as he tried to find the dot that has no doubt disappeared again. He could feel Jack’s claws catching in his uniform as his partner patted at him, trying to find the light, a low, disappointed mew slipping out when it registered that it was gone, and Gabriel was waiting for it to reappear and distract Jack so that he can recover. However, it didn’t reappear, and he managed to crane his neck just enough to peer at Ana, catching the soft smile on her face as she studied them and the fact that she had hidden the scope completely this time.

   Feeling Jack squirming again he shifted his attention back to his partner, snorting when he realised the idiot was still searching for the dot, before hesitantly reaching up to pet the twitching ears. At first Jack batted at his hand, still in hunting mode, but it didn’t take long for his focus to shift to Gabe, and the attention now being lavished on his ears, a low purr building in his chest as he butted his head demandingly against Gabe’s fingers whenever he faltered. “Are you back with me?” Gabriel asked, smiling as he felt the purrs reverberating through them both and feeling Jack curling his tail around his leg, his usual way of trying to keep Gabe from moving. For a moment, he thought that Jack was still too far in hunting mode to acknowledge him, but finally, Jack nodded, nuzzling against him with a louder purr, claws catching at his uniform and Gabriel thought that was going to be it before Jack sighed and slumped against him with a disappointed grumble.

“Gabe, I didn’t manage to catch it…”


	3. Chapter 3

    There were days when Jack wanted nothing more than to just take his Strike-Commanders uniform and tear it apart with his claws, shred it until there was nothing more than a pile of fabric scraps left behind. Days when he wished he could just leave the blasted thing behind, and go back to just being Jack Morrison. It was a wish that he knew could never come true, or at least not right now. There was too much riding on his shoulders, on Overwatch, and he hissed under his breath as he felt the weight pressing in on him, tail lashing violently against the back of his legs. He took one last look at his desk, at the pile of paperwork that he still had to get through, the lights flashing on his holo-recorder which signalled that he had at least a dozen messages and with an irate growl he turned on his heels and stalked out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him.

He wanted to go home…

     He wasn’t sure whether it was his expression, or whether it was the way his ears were flattened against the top his head, tail constantly lashing as he moved down the corridor, but no one made a move to intercept him or even try to get his attention. He’s both relieved and irritated as he notices several soldiers darting to the side to avoid him. He doesn’t want to take his ire out on innocents, something that Ana and Gabe have both given him hell for in the past, but at the same time, it would be an outlet for the pressure that he can feel in his chest.

    In the end, he makes it back to the quarters that he shares with Gabe without unleashing his temper on any unsuspecting soldiers, and his ears prick up, his steps speeding up at the sight of the familiar door and the promise of sanctuary that lies behind it. All he wants to do is shed his uniform and the mantle of Strike-Commander that he had never even wanted in the first place, and curl up in bed, preferably with Gabriel wrapped around him and with warm fingers playing with his ears. Just the thought of it has a soft purr rising in the back of his throat, the frantic movements of his tail slowing as he fumbles with the keypad before slipping inside, feeling a weight lifting from his shoulders just from the door clicking shut behind him. _Home…_

“Gabe?” He called as he hastily shrugged off the hated blue coat, not caring that his claws have slipped out, catching the material. He knows that he’ll have to fix it, but that can wait - his ears flicking as he realises that there was no response to his call, eyes narrowing as it dawns on him just how quiet their rooms are, and he can feel his tail beginning to shift again. Agitation lending him volume as he takes a cautious step further into the living area. “Gabe!”

    There’s no response and an agitated noise rises in the back of his throat. Gabe had mentioned finishing earlier today, it was part of the reason why Jack had been so willing to turn his back on his own pile of work earlier than normal, even though he knew he would probably regret it in the long run. _So, where is he?_ He was about to go and check the bedroom and bathroom, although he knew that he would be able to hear if Gabe was there and vice versa before he spotted the note on the table. He hesitated for a moment, knowing that Gabe would only have chickened out of telling him in person if he wasn’t going to be happy about it, but in the end, concern won out and he moved across and grabbed it. He took a second to bemoan the fact that even endless piles of reports hadn’t done anything to improve his partner’s scrawl, a fond smile tugging at his lips as he spotted the rough doodle of what he thought was supposed to be a cat at the bottom of the note, before actually focusing on the words.

    The smile slid off his face, a soft hiss escaping as he read and reread the note. Gabe wasn’t here - his tail lashed against the back of his leg, the hiss mutating into a low, angry growl as he stared at the words. The more logical part of his mind, the one that accepted that work and their respective roles meant they had to be prepared to sacrifice at least some of their personal time knew that it wasn’t Gabe’s fault. That if he had been called into a meeting at such short notice, it must be important, even if he didn’t seem to have been notified about it, but the logical part of his mind wasn’t winning today. Not after a morning of endless meetings where it seemed as though every word he’d uttered had been taken the wrong way, questioned and challenged at every turn, and after an afternoon buried in paperwork that seemed to be never-ending these days. The note never stood a chance, shredded in seconds and left to fall to the floor as his gaze moved onwards, ears flat against his head as sought out a fresh target for his ire.

    He spotted the beanie abandoned on the end of the couch, and for a long moment, he stared at it, fingers flexing as he imagined tearing it apart as well. It wouldn’t be the first time. Gabe had often bemoaned the number of hats that he had lost to Jack’s destructive tendencies, not that it seemed to stop him from leaving the blasted things out in clear view. However, as tempting as it was, Jack made no move to reach for it. He was angry. He was lonely. He was exhausted, and all he wanted to do was curl up in bed and cuddle with Gabe. And while the latter was out of the question, for the time being, he could still do the former, and with a sigh, he turned away from the hat and stalked towards their bedroom.

    It was comforting just to step into the room and see their belongings mixed together, nose twitching at the familiar scent of his partner that still lingered in the air. It helped. Quickly yanking off his boots he managed to the last few steps to the bed and let himself topple forward onto it, burying his nose in the covers, tail slowly curling around himself as Gabe’s scent engulfs him. It’s not the same as curling up with his partner, but it helps, and while he’s still irritated and sulky he grumbles under his breath and settles, pressing his face further into the covers. _Gabe…_

**

    It’s not enough. Nearly half an hour passes, and he’s still tense and agitated, unable to settle, even with Gabe’s scent surrounding him. Mewing softly, spirits falling further when there’s no warm voice in his ear or gentle fingers in his hair as there normally would be at a noise like that, he rolls over and stares at the ceiling for a moment before forcing himself back to his feet.

     He wants Gabriel. He needs Gabriel. A small part of him is tempted to try and contact him, but he knows that he can’t do that. It had been a strict rule between them from the start, that their relationship couldn’t get in the way, especially just because he was a possessive cat who’d had a lousy day. Still, that didn’t help him now, and he began to pace back and forth across the room, tail swishing as he contemplates his options, unable to stop the unhappy yowls building in the back of his throat as each circuit of the floor brings him no closer to a solution. He wants Gabe…

    He’s about to give into the temptation to call Gabe, consequences are damned when he pauses and turns to stare contemplatively at the wardrobe. The doors are shut at the moment, but it’s not hard for him to envision the contents, ears twitching at the thought of all of Gabriel’s clothes hanging intermingled with his - clothes still bathed in his partner’s scent. His ears flick backwards and forwards as he considers his options. It wouldn’t be the first time he had raided Gabriel’s clothes for this purpose or been lectured for it when he had unintentionally left fur all over them, ears drooping as he remembered the lecture he had been on the receiving end of last time, and yet…he inched forwards, eyes fixated on the wardrobe and the promise of comfort. No doubt he will get hell for this later, but right now he can’t bring himself to care, and besides its Gabe’s fault for being late.

    Decision made he reaches for the doors and yanks them open, completely ignoring his own clothes, even the threadbare hoodie that Gabriel had given him back during SEP goes untouched. Instead, he pilfers Gabriel’s side, stealing everything from the old, ratty t-shirts that Gabriel refused to throw away, though to the thick hoodies that he favoured on their days off, to the uniforms hung neatly at the end. He piles them all on the bed, searching every inch of the wardrobe until he’s certain that he’s got everything that belongs to Gabe, shoving the wardrobe shut and turning his attention back to the heaped clothes and purring at the sight of it. It looks so inviting, and any lingering reservations are easily shoved aside as he clambers on top of the heap, wiggling around until he’s managed to push them into something resembling a nest and curling up in the middle.

    It smells of Gabe, so wonderfully of Gabe that he purrs, finally feeling himself beginning to relax as he buries his nose into one of his partner’s shirts. It’s still not the same, but for now, it’s enough, and another purr rumbles in his chest, tail coming to rest tucking under him as he lets his eyes drift shut, focusing on nothing but the scent washing over him.

_Gabe…Mine…_

****

    Gabriel is cautious as he lets himself into their quarters, half expecting to find himself with a face full of clawed hands. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time or the last, and Ana had caught him when he’d finally managed to get out of his meeting, warning him that Jack had been in a foul mood earlier. That alone was enough to rouse his concern and wariness, but he knew that Jack had been expecting him to be home. Hell, he had been expecting to be at home, and he had a feeling that his absence wasn’t going to have gone down well.

    He’s surprised to find no trace of destruction in the living area, well beyond his note he amends as he spies the shredded paper littering the floor. Quietly closing the door behind him he glances around, but there’s no fresh claw marks on the furniture and even more surprising is the fact that the hat he had left on the couch is still on one piece. He had expected to have at least lost another hat today, and he frowns at the lack of damage.

“Jack?”

     The lack of response is concerning, but he clamps down on the brief flicker of worry. It wouldn’t be the first time that Jack has given him the silent treatment, and he’d learnt the hard way to temper his responses so that he didn’t push Jack further away. Which was why he stayed quiet as he made his way to the bedroom, hoping that Jack would have calmed down a little and that with a bit of fuss and soothing words he would be forgiven for being late.

    Those thoughts fled immediately when he stepped into their room, finding Jack curled up fast asleep in the middle of the bed. A soft smile tugged at his lips as he studied his partner. It had always been rare to see Jack this relaxed, but with his current job it had become even rarer, and he couldn’t help but drink in the sight of the content expression on his partner’s face. The almost constant frown was gone, his ears twitching with whatever he was dreaming about, his tail curled around him and tucked up under him as he snored softly, the sound so much like his purrs that Gabriel couldn’t help but chuckle. This was his Jack, the Jack that only he gets to see, and damn it, but he was cute - far too cute or a decorated soldier, whom Gabriel has seen covered in blood and flushed with the adrenaline of battle.

“Cariño…” He murmurs as he takes half a step forward, intending to slip into bed and curl up with his partner, only to come up short as it finally dawns on him just what Jack is curled up on top of.

    His clothes. He’s not that surprised considering what Ana had said about Jack’s earlier mood, and no matter how annoying it can be to get the fur off, he normally wouldn’t have begrudged Jack stealing his clothes in this situation, except his partner is currently laid right on top of his dress uniform. A uniform he hasn’t had to wear in far too long, and which he actually needs for tomorrow - which had been the whole reason for the meeting that he had been dragged into earlier, and the speech that is now stored on his tablet to be studied later.

    He doesn’t think. He just lunges forwards and grabs it, unable to think of anything but the dire consequences he had been warned of if he messed up the press conference he has to give tomorrow, and desperately he tries to yank it free before it can get anymore fur on it.

“JACK! JACK! MOVE!” In retrospect, he should have known better than to try and wake Jack that way. Neither of them reacts well to sudden awakenings, and Jack has extra weapons at his disposal and Gabriel yelps as he finds himself on the business end of Jack’s claws, the golden fur standing on end as Jack hisses angrily at him.

    It takes a couple of minutes for Jack’s sleep-addled mind to catch up with what’s happening, by which time Gabe is thin-lipped in his attempts to hold back a groan of pain as Jack blinks at him, slowly removing his claws.  He isn’t given a chance to be relieved by his freedom, because suddenly Jack is fussing around him, ears drooping with shame as he gently takes the bloodied hands and stares at them wide-eyed. It isn’t the first time this has happened, but it’s been a while since it’s been this bad and Gabriel can’t stop himself from hissing as Jack tries to examine the damage, dropping his hand as though burnt and retreating in on himself as a low, miserable sounding meow slips free. “It’s okay,” it doesn’t come out as reassuring as he had intended, because it hurts, but at least it makes Jack’s ears twitch towards him and his partner inches closer.

“Angela?”

“Yeah,” Gabriel agrees reluctantly as he examines his hand, trying not to think about the teasing that’s going to come his way. It’s not the first time she’s had to patch him up, and no doubt it won’t be the last he amends glancing at Jack whose watching him with worried eyes. “Come on, I’m not facing her alone.” Jack looks almost surprised that he’s being welcomed, even for a reason like that, and there’s an air of caution as he climbs off the bed, knocking his nest in every direction, and Gabe winces as he catches a glimpse at his uniform before dismissing it for now. Instead, he climbs to his feet and glances expectantly at Jack, letting a hint of pleading enter his gaze and just as he knew it would, it’s enough to get Jack to close the distance between them and cautiously wrap an arm around his shoulder. He doesn’t need the support, they both know that, but they both know that Jack needs the contact and so they remain quiet, Gabe quietly leaning on his partner as he allows Jack to guide him out of their rooms.

**

    True to their expectations Angela had been merciless in her teasing, even though her hands were gentle as she tended to Gabe’s hands. Her taunts about needing to get him a spray bottle for Jack would normally have earned a warning hiss from the blond, but Jack is more focused on pressing himself as close as he can against Gabriel’s side, his face buried against his partner as he presses his nose against the side of Gabriel’s neck. It’s a silent apology, reinforced by the low meows of apology that had started from the moment Angela had touched Gabriel’s hand and drawn another hiss of pain from him.

    He’d never had any intention of staying mad with Jack, after all, he couldn’t have expected any other reaction after waking Jack like that. He’d lost count of the times he’d lashed out because Jack had unintentionally disturbed him, and it wasn’t Jack’s fault that he had lethal weapons at his disposal all the time. However, there was no way he could ignore those pitiful noises, and the moment that Angela had finished with his hands and retreated with a knowing smile, he had turned and hauled Jack into a hug. The movement was met with a yowl of worried protest, but from the way that Jack’s tail snaked up to wrap around his wrist, he knew that Jack didn’t want to be released.

“I’m sorry,” it’s barely a whisper of sound against his neck, but he hears it anyway, humming in acknowledgement although he doesn’t need the apology. Tightening the hug, he lets one hand roam upwards, easily finding the soft fur of Jack’s ear and beginning to stroke it tenderly, pressing his lips against Jack’s temple and smiling as he feels the purr that Jack can’t hold back at the gentle touches.

“I’m sorry too,” he murmurs soothingly, kissing Jack again when he feels more than hears the curious noise that greets his words. “For being late, and for startling you.” Especially the latter, he wants to add, but neither of them like drawing attention to the jumpiness - the wariness, that remains even in the safety of the base, the safety of one another’s arms.

“But…”

    Gabriel growls under his breath at the protest, but he knows that Jack won’t accept the apologies and forgiveness so easily, especially not while his fingers are covered in plasters and stitches where the claws had cut deepest. Sighing, and pushing aside the urge to continue the argument as all that will result in is a never-ending spiral, he settles for pulling back slightly, just enough to peer down at Jack, earning a questioning chirrup from his partner and smiling.

“If you want to make it up to me, you can help me get all your bloody fur off my uniform.” As expected Jack pulls a face at that, it’s a task that neither of them enjoys, but he nods, hesitating for a moment before leaning in and gently butting his face against Gabe’s and purring softly.

“Deal.”


	4. Chapter 4

    Gabriel grumbled under his breath as he felt Jack shifting against his chest, instinctively tightening his hold on his partner and waiting for the incessant nudging that would usually follow, fingers curling in preparation to reach up and play with the ears that he could feel tickling the side of his neck as they flicked back and forth. No matter what else had changed between them, Jack’s love of being held and fussed hadn’t faded, although there was often a wariness to his approach now and often Gabriel was the only one he would allow that close. It helped that Gabriel had never lost his love for the soft fur that covered Jack’s ears and tail, even though the soft gold had now given way to snowy white, the once pristine features ragged after a life on the run. It had been a distraction at first, before their reconciliation, when he had faced Soldier 76 and been unable to think about anything but touching that soft fur.

    His hand was already moving before he registered that Jack had tensed, his head no longer buried into the crook of his neck, the soft purrs that had been rumbling through him for the last hour fading away. He was about to lift his own head and see what had distracted Jack, when he felt Jack’s muscles contracting, blinking as he realised that Jack was wiggling against him, the tail that had been curled possessively around his leg lashing behind him.

“Jack…?”

     Somehow, he wasn’t surprised when he didn’t get a response from Jack, well not beyond an increase in the wiggling motion and he hastily yanked his arms away, he knew how this was going to end. It turned out that he had moved just in time, because with a yowl Jack up and across the room, before he could react, moving faster than he had in a long time, the age seeming to melt away from him, ears tilted forwards, gaze focused on something by the doorway. Gabriel watched him, distracted for a moment, noting how the once smooth lope had become a strange, jerky gait, eyes narrowing as he caught the limp that Jack couldn’t quite mask. Not that it seemed to slow him down…

    Remembering his earlier curiosity his attention shifted to what Jack was focused on, sighing when he caught a flash of green and blue, sleek bodies twisting and turning before skittering out of the door just before Jack could reach them. The frustrated yowl had him smiling, reminding him of all the times they had driven Jack up the wall with cat toys and sniper lights because no matter how much Jack tried to ignore them or argue that he didn’t like them, he could never resist the temptation to chase them. Shaking his head, he watched Jack skid as he went out the door, before disappearing down the corridor and out of sight, leaving him behind without so much as a backwards glance.

    Sighing he flopped back down on the couch they had claimed for their own, having decided to make the most of a rare afternoon without missions or reports. Gabriel may have threatened the youngsters to make sure they were left in peace, and he was sure Jack had told Winston not to call them. He grumbled as he tried to get comfortable again. It had been cramped before, the old couch not really built for two men their size, not that it had stopped them and he scowled, already missing the comforting warmth and pressure against his chest. His nanites began to whirr in his chest as they tried and failed to replicate the sensation, and he closed his eyes, settling in to sulk and wait for Jack to abandon the chase when he realised that he didn’t stand a chance at catching the dragons…

    It lasted all of five minutes before he bolted upright in alarm, realising exactly what Jack had just chased out of the room. It would have been fine if it had just been Genji’s dragon, the younger Shimada had always been remarkably easy going about Jack’s efforts to catch the critter. And Gabriel knew for a fact that when he had first joined Overwatch, he had taken great pleasure in baiting the Strike Commander and laughing as he watched Jack’s fruitless efforts to catch the dragon. He’d even done it once or twice since Jack had returned to Overwatch, although the laughter was not as free and easy going as it had been back then. No, Genji wasn’t going to be the problem - but Hanzo…

    The older Shimada was fiercely protective of his dragons, and it had taken months dating before he would even let McCree touch them. The rest of them having swiftly learnt not to try and even slip titbits to the critters, not an easy task when Udon and Soba would sidle around them, begging for treats and attention. Not that they needed more, because McCree spoilt them something rotten. Still, even that could earn an angry word from Hanzo, he didn’t want to imagine what response Jack’s current efforts were going to earn him.

    Cursing under his breath he climbed to his feet, trying to banish the image of his partner pinned to the wall with an arrow as he slipped reluctantly into the shadows. He tried to avoid using those abilities these days, worried that using them too much would bring the Reaper back to the forefront, but he wasn’t about to let Jack get hurt, grimacing as the shadows closed in on him even as he cast out tendrils filled with his nanites, searching for Jack.

_Where are you, Morrison?_

**

    McCree had known something was wrong the moment Hanzo had tensed, a curse, rare for his composed partner slipping free as his hand shot to his arm. The tattoo was dulled now, indicating that Soba and Udon were currently out and about and he tensed, as it wouldn’t be the first time that the pair had got themselves into trouble. The last time they had managed to startle Bastion so badly that he had panicked, automatically slipping into defensive mode and destroying the smallest hangar and nearly taking them with it. Which was why he was unsurprised when Hanzo hurried for the door, scowl deepening with concern, but it was the fact that the archer had grabbed Stormbow on the way out that had McCree up on his feet and chasing after him. There was nothing truly dangerous in the base, and Athena would have warned them of an attack, and he didn’t want Hanzo taking someone’s head off if it was just the dragons getting up to mischief again.

“Hanzo!” His call fell on deaf ears, and he growled, praying for patience. Hanzo had mellowed a lot over the last few months, but there were times like this when his barriers came up, and even McCree struggled to force his way through them. “Damn it Hanzo wait up!” Contrary to the last, Hanzo seemed to speed up, forcing McCree to break into a jog to follow him, praying for whoever was about to catch the sharp end of his partner’s tongue, and possibly bow, he amended, taking in the white-knuckled grip Hanzo had on it.

**

    A small part of his mind knew that what he was doing was ridiculous, the part of him that knew that he was human, that knew that the dragons in front of him were precious and not something for him to hunt. It was a very small part, especially at the moment as he slipped deeper and deeper into hunter mode, letting himself fall in a way that he had rarely dared to during his time on the run. When he was like this it was hard to think about threats and tactics, and alone, and on the run, it had been too much of a risk, and he had been forced to cut that part of himself off. Back before the fall, Jack had never been able to fight his instincts when they rose up like this, a source of amusement to Gabriel and Ana who took great pleasure in bringing out that side of him, and he had to admit that he was revelling in the freedom to let himself go.

     His ears were up, tilted forward, every part of him focused on his prey as he inched forwards. He had finally managed to catch the dragons in one of the many dead-ends that Winston had built into the base to fool attackers, dropping into a crouch, a low warning growl rising in his throat as the green one tried to dart forwards and past him, swiping at it with claws out. Tail lashing when it chirped at him before shooting back to hide with Soba and Udon, the three of them balling up and trying to make themselves larger to scare him. It didn’t work, their constant movement holding his focus as he readied himself to pounce - so close, he could practically taste the catch, the victory and his muscles bunched…

Everything happened at once.

    He sprang forwards, world completely narrowed down to his prey. Only to find his lunge being brought up short as tendrils of mist wrapped themselves around him and yanked him back against a firm chest, and he yowled and hissed as arms tightened around him, holding him in place. He recognised Gabriel’s scent, but it didn’t stop him from lashing out with claws, gaze still focused on the dragons. He was so close, and he yowled loudly, furiously, pleased to feel Gabriel flinch at the noiseless pleased when he didn’t let go.

    However, he didn’t have time to worry about that because there was a furious voice from behind them and Jack tensed at the sound, risking a quick glance to see what the new threat was, a semblance of understanding trickling in as he found Hanzo staring at him along the shaft of an arrow. He heard Gabriel cursing behind him, one ear flicking towards him and then towards McCree who had just skidded to a halt behind Hanzo, wide eyes darting between them, the dragons and his partner.

“Hanzo…”

“You dare hunt my dragons?” Jack knew that he should be more worried by that tone of voice, but the dragons had chosen to chirrup in response to the familiar voice and the prospect of rescue, drawing his attention once more. At once, all comprehension faded as his attention snapped back to them, a growl rising in his throat as he tried to free himself from Gabriel’s grip once more. They were so close. Gabriel cursed, tightening his grip and Jack scratched at him, ducking his head and biting him, they were so close, why was he stopping him?

“Damn it, Jack, stop!” Gabriel cursed, clenching his teeth as Jack’s teeth sank into his hand, fighting the urge to release his partner. He could feel the energy crackling in the air, a quick glance at Hanzo’s furious expression and the hint of blue beginning to crackle around his arm telling him that he had to stop Jack now. “JACK!” _God damn stupid cats…_ right now it was hard to remember that he loved this part of his partner, readying himself to risk dragging Jack through the shadows with him when McCree’s alarmed shout caught his attention.

“Hanzo don’t!” McCree had noticed the light as well, lunging forward in the hopes of stopping Hanzo before he could release the shot. Gabriel hesitated, hoping that McCree could stop him so that he didn’t need to risk Jack in the shadows, but in the end, help came from an unexpected source, the four of them having failed to notice that the racket they were making had drawn attention from others.

“Freeze!” The panicked shout was followed by the familiar high-pitched beeping of the drone that had just been tossed between them, and Gabriel cursed, slipping into the shadows and releasing Jack as the corridor filled with ice. As much as he loved his idiotic cat, there was no way he was going to become a human popsicle unless it was absolutely necessary. And so he shadow-stepped, reappearing next to Mei who was stood at the end of the corridor, wringing her hands together nervously, glancing between where Jack and Hanzo and an unfortunate McCree had been caught in the ice and then back at him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know how else to stop them,” she looked at him, clearly expecting rebuttal but he shrugged, glancing down at the scratches now littering his arms and the bite on his hand and scowling as he looked up at his partner.

“It’s fine,” he muttered, realising that she was waiting for a response, not quite willing to admit how relieved he was for the help. Realising that they didn’t have long before the effects wore off he turned his attention to the huddled dragons, realising they had crowded themselves into the corner to protect themselves from the ice. “I would get out of here because I can’t promise that Jack won’t chase you.” He still felt slightly silly talking to them, but as one they chirped, glancing at Jack with what he could have sworn was calculation before skittering past him and through the fading ice, Soba and Udon disappearing as they reached Hanzo while their brother disappeared down the corridor. Gabriel sighed with relief, although he had a feeling from the look they had given his partner, it wouldn’t be the last time they ended up in this situation. Maybe he should get Mei to build him a drone as well.

“Ryu…” Hanzo was the first to regain his movement, blinking and trailing off as he realised that the dragons were gone, glancing at his arm and then at the ice fading away around them and a shivering McCree hastily wrapped his arms around him, forcing the bow down.

    Relieved and impressed, because he knew how much McCree hated the cold and how deliberating Mei’s blizzard could be, Gabriel shifted his attention to Jack as his partner lurched forward. He felt a spark of sympathy at the discomfort in Jack’s face, knowing that the chill would have played havoc with the persistent and aches and pains his partner felt these days. He would be stiff as hell later, and Gabriel made a note to talk him into a massage. For now, though he stepped forward with a stern expression, knowing that they needed to resolve this, because it was clear that Hanzo was still furious even if the dragons were safe and Jack had steadied himself and was now looking for his prey, tail lashing in irritation as he realised they were gone.

“Jack.” His tone said it all, and Jack’s attention immediately shifted to him, ears twitching nervously before his gaze shifted to Hanzo. It was clear that he was coming back to himself, expression tightening for a moment before his shoulders slumped, tail curling behind his leg, leaving him looking the very image of a dejected cat. Gabriel didn’t say anything else, merely stared at him with stern eyes and after a moment Jack let out a soft mew, ears drooping as he turned his attention back to Hanzo, meeting the archer’s dark gaze.

“…Sorry.”

   Hanzo began to growl something, Japanese slipping in with the English and while he didn’t understand it, Gabriel didn’t need to see the panic in McCree’s face to know that it wasn’t polite. The gunslinger glanced at him, then at Jack and then hastily slapped a hand over his partner’s mouth, leaning down to mumble in Hanzo’s ear, with both Jack and Gabriel pretending that they couldn’t hear with their advanced hearing.

“I will not…” Hanzo yanked himself free of McCree’s grip, readying to lift his bow again when one of the dragons reappeared, curling itself around the bow and chittering at him in its own language. Gabriel caught Jack tensing and growling out a curse he shadow-stepped again, hastily rematerializing and gripping his arm to stop him, arching an eyebrow at him when Jack tried to protest, silently reminding him of how they had wound up in this mess to start with. Jack subsided, and once he was certain the idiot wasn’t going to pounce he shifted his attention back to Hanzo and the dragon, relieved to see that the archer was starting to relax, dark eyes soft as he looked at the creature and after a few minutes he sighed and nodded, earning another soft chirp before the dragon faded. “I will let it go, this time…” From the look on McCree’s face that hadn’t been what the dragon had wanted, but Gabriel wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, and he nodded, squeezing Jack’s arm until Jack nodded to.

   Hanzo glared at Jack for a moment later before apologising to Mei for the inconvenience before turning and stalking away, McCree offering them a weak grin before hurrying after them, leaving Gabriel with the impression that they would be getting a visit later. He nodded his own thanks to Mei who managed a nervous smile before she retrieved her drone and hurried after the other two, leaving him and Jack alone in the corridor, and he sighed as he let the peace settle over, letting the adrenaline fade away before slowly tugging Jack into a hug. He could feel the tension still radiating through his partner, but he ignored it as he buried his face against Jack’s shoulder, a strange need to laugh welling up and he couldn’t stop the chuckle that slipped out a moment later, and then another…

“Gabe?”

“You really are something else Morrison,” Gabriel muttered once he got his laughter under control, pulling back slightly, reaching up and running a thumb against a weathered cheek, smiling as Jack purred at the sensation and nudged him in a silent plea for more. He didn’t deny him, repeating the gesture before leaning in to kiss him on the end of the nose, chuckling again as Jack’s ears twitched and he rubbed his nose against Gabriel’s chin as though to chase away an itch. _Something else indeed…_

    


	5. Chapter 5

   Soldier 76 paused for a moment, fingers tightening on the pulse rifle he was cradling against his chest, ragged ears twitching back and forth, and his tail tucked protectively around his legs. The base was silent, the only noise coming from the rain hammering down outside and he sighed, trying to make himself relax a little, reminding himself that the base had been abandoned for years. He just had to glance around to confirm that, the thick layer of dust coating everything visible even through his visor and there was no sign that anyone had been through here apart from small creatures that had crept in through the crap, a low, unhappy mewl rising before he could stop it. There was no one left to disturb it. Well, no one apart from him and he was regretting that decision with every step he took.

  He had come very close to bypassing the base, too many memories held in the empty halls, too many echoes of Gabriel. Even now if he closed his eyes for a moment he could imagine walking down this very corridor, Gabe at his side, laughing…talking…gentle hands brushing against his ear, fingers playfully tugging at his tail. This had been their retreat. It was a small base, out of the way and the UN and Petras had little to no interest in it. And so they had used it to get away from everything, and despite everything, his lips quirked up slightly as he recalled some of the more inventive reasons that Gabe had come up with for them to be out here. The smile was short-lived though, as he opened eyes that he hadn’t intended to close and took in the dark corridor with a sigh. All of that was gone now, replaced with memories and a dull ache that made him want to turn tail and flee, take his chances out in the storm.

   He didn’t give into the temptation though, although it was a close thing, the burning sensation in his side as he twisted to glance behind him reminding him of why he had needed shelter in the first place. Hissing under his breath he placed a hand on his side, feeling the shift beneath his searching fingers and yowling at the pain that followed down as he pressed down. In the past, such an injury would have been healed just like that, but as with everything, his healing factor was slowing with age, and he couldn’t wait to settle down with a biotic emitter to wash the pain away.

    Part of him knew that he could have done that already after all the base was empty, no one was going to know or care where he set up camp for the night, and it would have been easier than facing the memories that lay further in. That would have been the simpler option - the more sensible option, and yet here he was, traipsing through corridors laden with dust and memories, heading for the sleeping quarters that lay in the eastern corner. _Sentimental fool,_ he snorted, hearing Gabriel’s voice in that thought, ear drooping as even after all this time he found himself glancing around, half expecting to see his partner standing there and grinning at him, dull ache intensifying as his searching gaze came up empty. _Gabe…_

    He was a sentimental fool. When he finally reached his goal, he found himself wavering, eyes drawn to the end room. Officially it had been assigned to Gabriel, but they had both spent most of their time crammed into Jack’s quarters, keeping only a token display of belongings on show in Gabe’s room in case anyone wanted to call them on it. For a moment, he contemplated his old room, but the thought of curling up in that narrow bed without Gabriel left him cold. He still wasn’t used to sleeping alone at the best of times, waking several times a night from a nightmare riddled sleep and coming up short when his searching fingers always came up empty. Besides, there was another reason why he had decided to brave the base and squaring his shoulders as best he could with his injuries he turned and padded towards Gabe’s room, ears constantly on the move and his tail beginning to lash in agitation.

    The room was just as he remembered. They had never bothered to remove their stuff from the rooms here, and for a moment he could only stand in the doorway, barely able to breathe because apart from the dust and musty smell in the air, it was like he had never been gone. He could almost see how it had been, how Gabriel would have been there, either pressed up behind him, or lounging on the bed and waiting for him, the image so strong that he almost found himself reaching out, the pulse rifle clattered from his hands, and with trembling hands he wrenched off his mask, plunging himself into darkness. It didn’t help…

“Gabe…” The sound of his own voice startled him, his fur standing on end, but then he deflated with a dejected mewl. _Sentimental fool indeed._ There was bitterness to that thought, but it didn’t counter the longing, the need to cling to those memories even as he found himself recoiling from them and he turned around, not bothering to replace his mask just yet. He didn’t need to. He knew this room as well as he had back then, and while his movements were a little more cautious without it, it didn’t take him long to locate the wardrobe, breath catching as his fingers brushed against material. He could imagine it, uniforms hung neatly against old t-shirts that were kept purely to fool people into thinking he used the room.

    He nearly seized them, but instead, he crouched, reaching out and fumbling until he found the thing that had convinced him to risk the base in the first place. The box was crumbling now, and he grimaced as he felt how one corner had been eaten away, ears twitching, listening for the sound of tiny, scurrying feet even as he carefully lifted the bod out. It hurt, but the pain helped right now, keeping him grounded in the here and now. Letting him focus on feeling for the clasp, flipping the lid up, breath catching as a hint of Gabriel’s scent tickled his nose. The dull ache that had settled for a while flaring to life as he reached inside, fingers feeling past the material of one of Gabe’s old beanies and what it took him a moment to recognise as the novelty socks that Ana had bought them one Christmas. There it was - he faltered for a moment, his fingers tensing before he carefully, tenderly lifted the old hoodie out of the box and pulled it to his face.

    It had been Gabe’s favourite, just a simple, black hoodie that he had picked up during their SEP days and somehow kept hold of. His fingers brushed over the material, remembering when it had been new and so soft to the touch that they had both melted into it. The material was harsher now after years of washing, although it didn’t stop him from burying his face against it. Panic engulfing him for a moment when the scent that he loved so much didn’t immediately tickle his nose, mewling as he sniffed harder, pushing his nose further into the material. There. It was faint, worryingly so, but for now, it still smelt like Gabe - it still smelt like home, and he nuzzled into it, drinking in the scent, remembering how grumpy Gabriel had been when the hoodie had disappeared and how he had bought his partner new ones out of guilt. Although he had never admitted that he was the one to steal it and hide it away in his hoard. He’d always had a sneaking suspicion that Gabriel had known, although he had never said anything and there had never been any sign of his hiding spots being disturbed.

    A quiet noise, half sob, half laugh slipped out as he squeezed his eyes shut and hid against the material, fingers faltering as he found the patch that had been added later, knowing that if he could see it, then he would be staring at the Blackwatch insignia. _Gabe._ It had been easy for a moment, buried in the faint remnants of Gabriel’s scent to forget reality, only now it slammed into him full force once more, and he gasped as he staggered back. He was alone. Gabe was gone, and all he had was brief snatches of a scent that would eventually disappear completely.

    Gripping the hoodie tighter again he staggered back until he legs hit the edge of the bed, sinking down on it, feeling older than ever under the burden of those realisations and the memories that wouldn’t leave him alone. Reluctantly releasing one hand, he fumbled for a biotic emitter and set it down next to the bed, feeling the soothing warmth washing over him, before he curled up on the bed. The covers smelt of must and nothing more, and he began to purr agitatedly, burying his nose in the hoodie once more, chasing the elusive trace of Gabe’s scent. “G-Gabe,” his voice cracked, dampness on his cheeks as he squeezed his eyes shut, willing sleep to claim him and praying that the scent would afford him one night without nightmares.

****

      Reaper was silent as he moved through the base, easily following the trail of footprints on the dusty floor, tendrils of mist swirling in his wake to hide the evidence that anyone had been here. He didn’t want anyone else to be able to track Solider 76, and he felt a pang of concern at the fact that the other man seemed to have made no effort to hide his tracks - had he injured him that badly? Their last encounter had been brutal, and while he had tried to hold back having discovered just who lay under the mask, it hadn’t been easy because the Solider had been determined to end things between them and had refused to hear him out when he had tried to broach the subject.

    He almost laughed when he realised where the other man had chosen to hold up. _Sentimental fool,_ he thought, bitterness and fondness mixing as he resolutely tried not to think of the few precious items that he had hoarded away at his most secure safe house. _You made me soft, Jack._  He hesitated for a moment, wondering if it would be easier to just leave, especially now that he knew the other man had found somewhere safe to hole up and from the soft light he could see through the crack in the door, was in the process of healing up.

    Yet even now he couldn’t resist the temptation to see him, and with an irritated growl, he prowled forward, carefully inching the door open and half expecting to find the rifle aimed at his face. Instead, he came up short as he found the Soldier curled up, fast asleep on the bed, tail tucked protectively under him, ears twitching with whatever he was dreaming about. However, what had made him pause was the sight of the hoodie that the other man was cradling to his face, easily recognising it even after all this time, heart aching as he watched the Solider unconsciously nuzzling closer, distress flickering across pale features before he settled again.

“Jack…” He breathed softly, pained as he watched Jack’s fingers tightening on the hoodie. He had always known that Jack had taken it, knew that he hoarded everything and anything that smelt like him, but to see him doing it now, even after everything that had happened - it hurt. The urge to flee was overwhelming, it had been one thing to learn that Jack was alive and searching for answers as well, it was another to see him like this. But he couldn’t just walk away.

     He hesitated for a moment, just watching Jack, tracing the differences that Zurich and the years had wrought on the once familiar face, fingers itching to brush against soft fur, noting with distress that the white ears were ragged and tatty, the tail matted in places. It reinforced the fact that he couldn’t just walk away, yet at the same time he wasn’t sure that either of them were ready to face one another and he shifted uneasily from foot to foot, trying to work out what to do, before his gaze darted back to the hoodie that Jack was cradling. How long had it been since he’d worn the damn thing? Years, he wrinkled his nose, unable to imagine that there was much of his scent lingering anymore despite the way that Jack was clinging to it, and he paused before sighing in exasperation. _You really have made me soft…_

    Wary of waking Jack he shifted to wraith form, drifting closer and letting tendrils of mist stretch out and caress the hoodie, slipping inside and filling it as best he could with how it was pressed against Jack. It wasn’t enough, and he ached to wrap himself around Jack instead, unable to resist trailing a tendril over one of Jack’s scars and up to one of his ears, shivering as he passed over fur. _Jack._ With difficulty he pulled himself back, solidifying a short distance away and watching, lips curving into a soft smile as Jack frowned for a moment, snuffling slightly as he pressed his nose further into the hoodie. A hoodie now freshly saturated with his scent, before he practically melted against it, a soft mew that reminded him of the days when Jack had made himself comfortable against him late at night, slipping out as he curled around it and settled again.

    It wasn’t much, but the fact that he had been able to do something made it easier for him to retreat, pausing in the doorway and glancing back at Jack, longing to just stay and wait for him to wake up. But now wasn’t the time, and reluctantly he forced himself to shadow-step away before he could give into the temptation to stay.

_Stay safe, Jack._

 


	6. Chapter 6

    Gabriel sighed and rubbed a hand across his face, trying not to focus on how his fingers found empty air in places where there should have been skin. It was always harder to hold himself together first thing in the morning, sleep still clinging to the edge of his thoughts, and it didn’t help that he had got barely any sleep as it had been another bad night for Jack. Between the two of them and everything that they had been through, the bad nights seemed to outnumber the good, but last night had been particularly bad. Jack hadn’t been able to settle for more than a few minutes at a time, pacing around their rooms and occasionally venturing out into the rest of the base only to come back within minutes. Too uneasy to leave Gabriel’s side for long, although every attempt Gabriel had made to reach out to him had been met with angry hisses and threatening claws.

    In the end, all he had been able to do was sit on the bed or on the couch, depending on where Jack was pacing and talk to him. It wasn’t as soothing as it had been when they were younger, and Jack had been kept awake by a mission gone wrong, or the pressure of the job because Gabriel lacked the optimism he’d had back then, and his voice was different, ruined by Zurich and the transformation that had followed. It hadn’t stopped him from trying. He’d carefully steered away from any topics that might help Jack spiral down into an even darker place, instead talking about their loose plans to take a holiday together in the near future. About how Hana and Lucio were still hounding them both to appear in their next stream after Jack and his feline features and grumpiness had been a surprise hit when he had unintentionally walked in on one a few months ago, about the dinner they were going to have with the original strike team next week.

    It had taken a long time for his words to reach Jack, but eventually, the pacing had slowed, and Jack had spent more time circling him, occasionally pausing to rub against him or the furniture, scent-marking. Staking his claim on their home, an act that had Gabriel’s heart constricting painfully because he knew that was part of the problem, that some part of Jack still didn’t believe that this was home. Too used to living wherever he could find shelter, too used to being alone, this revived thing between them still too new and raw to reassure him yet. It had been nearly five in the morning before he had managed to convince Jack to come back to bed, and whilst Gabriel had crashed quickly enough, he had a feeling that Jack had laid awake longer still lost in his thoughts, which was why he was still curled up in the bed fast asleep, looking peaceful for once.

    He worried at his bottom lip as he worked on making a mug of coffee, imaging the disapproving look that Angela and Ana would no doubt be giving him if they saw just how much coffee and sugar he was piling into the mug. Hell, as he added the water and stared at the sludge-like consistency, he doubted that even McCree would be able to stomach it. It didn’t stop him from lifting the mug and gulping it down, for once grateful for the constantly shifting nanites that protected him as he swallowed the scalding liquid. Unfortunately, they would also lessen the impact of the caffeine, but with his eyes drooping and the prospect of a day of training to try and get him integrated with the rest of the team there was little choice, and as soon as he had finished the first mug he was making a second.

“You’re going to be hyper all day,” the sleepy voice was unexpected, but he managed to mask his startled jump, about to turn around when warm arms slipped around his waist. Jack plastering himself against his back and letting his head come to rest on Gabriel’s shoulder, nuzzling into the side of his neck as a purr rumbled in the back of his throat. “Morning…” He added belatedly, and Gabriel snorted, fighting the urge to reach up and rub at the ear that he could feel twitching against his. It was rare for Jack to initiate touch nowadays, let alone tolerate it, even though when he did welcome it he would rapidly become a boneless pile in Gabriel’s lap, and he didn’t want to break the moment.

“Good morning,” he settled for returning the greeting, taking a deep breath as Jack nuzzled against him again, the idiot really wasn’t making it easy for him to control himself and yet he had no intention of pulling away from the sensation. Instead, he resumed making himself a second mug of coffee, before grabbing another mug and making a slightly less potent brew for Jack. “Are you feeling better?” He asked cautiously after a few minutes of almost contented silence, regretting it when Jack tensed and he half expected his partner to pull away, feeling Jack’s tail as it lashed against his leg.

    It seemed to be a morning for Jack to surprise him though because he felt the long, shuddering breath that tickled his neck before Jack seemed to slump against him. “Not sure…” Gabriel hummed, not happy with the reply, but relieved that Jack hadn’t tried to lie to him. It was one of the many terms they had agreed to when they were trying to find a way forward - no lies, not even about the simple things. “Sorry about last night.”

“Don’t apologise,” Gabriel ordered, taking a chance and turning around to face Jack, unsurprised but a little disappointed when Jack immediately released him and shrank back a little. He covered the moment by turning and grabbing Jack’s mug and holding it out to him like a peace offering, grimacing at how milky it was, but it was worth it for the way Jack’s face lit up. He might not be able to see it that well, his eyesight worsening by the day although he refused to wear the visor in their rooms unless he absolutely needed to. But there was absolutely nothing wrong with his sense of smell and Gabriel smiled as he watched Jack sniffing the coffee, ears twitching back and forth before he took a sip and sighed happily at the taste. “It’s not like I haven’t kept you up other nights,” he added as he retrieved his own mug, drinking it more sedately this time and catching the way Jack grimaced, no doubt picking up on the too strong smell.

“I know, but…”

“Don’t.” He didn’t want to hear Jack saying that it was different, his partner still trying to shoulder more than his fair share of the blame for everything that had happened to them - to Gabriel. It didn’t seem to matter that Gabriel had long since forgiven him for his part in it, Jack seemed unwilling or unable to accept that, and while it was buried most of the time, it would crop up now and then, and Gabriel had learned that it was easier just to nip it in the bud. Jack scowled at him, ears flattening for a minute before he grumbled and nodded.

“Fine,” there was a hint of a hiss in his voice, irritation still showing before he took a deep breath and another sip of his coffee, visibly trying to relax and finally managing to offer Gabriel a small smile. “Are you ready for today?”

“I was born ready Jackie,” Gabriel retorted, trying to ease the concern he could hear in the question. He still hadn’t quite managed to adjust to the others as well as he had with Jack, and he knew that it showed in their interactions, which was why he hadn’t been able to protest when Winston had insisted that they all do some training together. Although part of him wanted to argue that it was enough that he could still fight at Jack’s side, the two of them moving around each other, covering each other’s backs with an instinctual trust that he had thought lost long before Zurich. Apparently, it wasn’t, which was why Jack had been banned from the training so that they couldn’t give into the temptation to just pair up, which was why he had half been hoping that Jack would manage to sleep in, although he should have known better as neither of them slept much these days. “What are you…?”

     He trailed off abruptly as he realised that Jack’s attention had shifted, and it took him half a second to realise that part of his nanites had broken off while he was distracted, coalescing together in the tiny, bean-like form they favoured when they were separated from him. The little creature made a chirping noise, and for half a second he thought that it was greeting him, but then he realised that the tiny eyes were fixated on Jack and his attention shifted back to his partner just as he heard the other man’s coffee mug hitting the floor and shattering as Jack sprang forward.

“Jack! No!” It was too late, Jack slamming into the counter as he tried to catch the bean which agilely leapt over his hand, hopping up his arm and over his shoulder before hitting the ground and skittering away as Jack turned with a rumbling growl. “Jack…”

“JACK! JACK!” Gabriel cursed, realising that he shouldn’t have reacted as more and more of his nanites broke off, the sensation ticklish rather than painful after all these years, until there were at least a dozen beans bouncing around him, chanting his partner’s name. Teasing him. There was no malice behind it though, the little creatures giggling and squeaking happily when Jack pounced at them, easily scattering out of the way before he could catch them. They had also adapted to his partner’s poor eyesight, using noise to keep his attention, the chorus of ‘Jack! Jack!’ intensifying when he turned in the wrong direction, and Gabriel was torn between exasperation and amusement, thinking fondly back to the days when he and Ana had been the one to tease Jack and drag out his feline tendencies.

    Watching as his partner pursued the beans as they bounced into the living room he went with amusement because it was a relief to see Jack letting himself act like this, especially after the previous evening. Huffing a chuckle, he finished off his coffee before moving to clean up Jack’s broken mug, not trusting him to remember about it, and not keen to leave a potential hazard in the way, on more than one occasion the beans had proven that they didn’t share his awareness of danger. The balcony incident from a couple of weeks ago was still fresh in his mind, he didn’t think he had ever shadow-stepped as fast or far as he had that day when he realised a visor-less Jack was heading straight towards the edge because of the beans.

    He had just finished mopping up the last of the coffee when there was a tremendous crash from the living room, the noise making him freeze for a moment, one shotgun half materialised before he got himself back under control. _I’m safe here, I’m safe here…_ It had taken him a long time to accept that, too used to the constant shifts of power in Talon and the backstabbing that tended to follow and unable to forget what had happened in Zurich, and there were still moments when he was back in that life. Taking a deep breath and scowling as he realised he had lost more nanites, this time forming as mist that danced around him he moved to the doorway and peered into the other room.

     Jack was sprawled on the floor, the remains of their table lying broken beneath him, but his partner’s attention was riveted on the beans which had taken shelter under the couch. Ears pricked forward as he listened for each movement, his tail which Gabriel was pleased to see was growing glossier by the day swaying behind him, and he bit the inside of his cheek to hold back a laugh, all annoyance fading as Jack began to wiggle as the beans chirped and giggled, winding him up. He already knew how this was going to end, having learnt that even SEP enhanced speed was no match for the tiny creatures, and sure enough, the moment that Jack shot forward, swiping at his targets, they all sprang up, bouncing up and over his hand, up his arms and over his head.

    He could have happily stayed here all day and watched them play, especially when despite the irritated yowl, Jack immediately twisted to follow the sounds of the target, looking more content than he had in a long time. However, he doubted that Winston would accept that as an excuse for not turning up for training, sighing as he took a step forward. “Jack?” The only response he got was a tattered ear flicking lazily in his direction, and he rolled his eyes, he had forgotten how Jack could get when he was like this, flashing back to when a much younger Jack had been chasing Ana’s scope light around the room. “I’ll be back later, okay?” He didn’t get a reply, and he made a note to get Athena to tell Jack where he was when his partner had come back to himself, reluctantly turning away and heading for the door.

    He had just reached for the handle when a warm body slammed into him from behind, and he barely managed to brace them, face stopping half an inch from colliding with the door. “Jack,” he growled, feeling the tail curling playfully around his leg, trapping him in place. “What are you…?” He trailed off, suddenly wordless when he felt Jack rubbing his cheek against him, first against the back of his shoulders, before leaning up so that he could reach the side of his head, a rare, deep purr building in the back of his throat.

    Carefully Gabriel twisted, relieved when Jack didn’t even flinch, wrapping his arms around his partner, feeling the purring intensifying. Jack took advantage of the new position to continue rubbing against him, scent-marking him, the possessiveness warming Gabriel, who felt his nanites stretching out, wrapping around Jack like a blanket. “I’m coming back,” he commented mildly, still somewhat surprised that Jack had managed to drag himself away from hunting the beans, glancing over Jack’s shoulder to see that they were piled up behind them, watching them quietly but intently. “Jack?”

“I know, but….” But the memories that had kept him up the night before were still close to the surface, Gabriel realised. He’d hoped that the quiet morning and playing with the beans had pushed them away, but he should’ve known that was naïve, knowing from painful experience how the bad memories and dark thoughts could creep up without warning and his arms tightened around Jack.

“I can stay?” Winston would throw a fit, but Gabriel could handle that. He half-hoped that Jack would accept his answer, but he was unsurprised when he shook his head instead, gently nuzzling against his cheek one more time before pulling back, although the way he had to fight to untangle his tail, told him that Jack was just as reluctant to part.

“You need to go…” _Damn it, Jack,_ even after everything Jack clung to his ‘duty’, but Gabriel couldn’t really be irritated with him, knowing that it was just part of who his partner was. Besides, he couldn’t remember the sheer terror in Jack’s voice when he had gone down on their last mission, all because he hadn’t expected Hana and Lucio to be there and hesitated, throwing off their rhythm and stepping directly into a blast that would probably have killed anyone else.

“I…” Jack was staring at him sternly, and the protest died on the tip of his tongue, and he sighed, before leaning in to steal a quick kiss, delighting in the fact that Jack leant into it this time, purring once more, and when they parted he couldn’t resist curling his fingers against Jack’s cheek. “I’ll be back later,” he promised, before turning his gaze to the beans which had started inching closer. “Stay with him.” It was a needless command as he could tell that they had no intention of returning to him at the moment, but still, he couldn’t stop the small smile when they bounced up and down in agreement, chanting his partner’s name, albeit softer than before.

     It was still harder than he wanted to admit pulling back, turning and opening the door, leaving Jack behind looking suddenly forlorn and the last thing he saw before the door slid shut behind him was the beans gathering at his partner’s feet and clambering for attention.

****

    Gabriel was in a foul mood by the time he returned to their quarters. Training had been disappointing, and he knew that most of the fault lay with him, he was just too used to working on his own. Even when he’d worked with Talon agents, he had always made sure they were operating in different teams and that he was on in his own. He had forgotten what it was like to be part of a team, especially one that was more than just colleagues, and he had lost count of the number of times where he had faltered or come up short because there was already somewhere there covering his back, each hesitation allowing another bot through, or to land a shot. What made it worse in a way was that no one had blamed him, or given the slightest indication that they were irritated with him, when he knew that they should be. They had taken a risk welcoming him back, and now he was slowing them down.

_It'll come,_ Ana had told him before he left, resting a hand on his shoulder and smiling at him, and for half a moment he had almost believed her. However, without her calming presence, he found the doubts creeping in once more, and he was muttering under his breath, cursing himself - cursing what he was and how he had ended up like this, as he punched in the code to their rooms and stepped inside.

    The quiet of their rooms immediately caught his attention, not least because it was never usually quiet when the beans were around. Jack had also taken to leaving the radio on, or asking Athena to play background music when he was on his own, the long years of living on his own and on the run, had left him jumpy, the slightest noise enough to set him off and he had discovered that putting on something of his own choosing eased it.

     It didn’t take him long to discover the reason for the peace, a fond smile slowly replacing his scowl as he took in the curled-up form on the sofa. It always amused him how small Jack could make himself when he wanted to. Usually, it had been when he’d wanted to curl up in Gabriel’s lap. Jack was facing him, curled up, tail tucked up under his chin and ears twitching every now and then, a rare, peaceful expression on his pace. The beans were tucked around him, most of them in the curve of his body, although a couple were perched on top him and now starting at Gabriel with strangely stern eyes, as though daring him to disturb Jack.

    Shaking his head, he moved closer, keeping his steps as quiet as possible as Jack was a light sleeper these days and Gabriel didn’t want to be the one to disturb him, which had nothing to do with the death glares he was now receiving from the little creatures. Ignoring them, knowing that they wouldn’t make a noise at the moment he crouched down and brushed fingers against Jack’s cheek, his partner stirring just enough to press into the touch. Something eased in his chest at the gesture. _It’ll come,_ he wasn’t sure how much he believed Ana’s words, but staring at Jack, he was reminded that it was worth it. At least until sharp teeth clamped on his finger, forcing him to bite his lip to stop himself from yelping, glaring at the bean that was now latched onto his finger.

“I wasn’t going to wake him up,” he hissed, glancing anxiously at Jack who shifted at the noise before settling once more, wincing as the teeth tightened. It shouldn’t be possible for part him to rebel like this he thought, glaring at the defiant bean before he smirked. Before it could react, he let himself disintegrate, the sensation just as unpleasant as always although Angela had managed to adjust his nanites so that the process, while painful was no longer excruciating. He could hear the beans protest as though from a great distance as he slipped free, gliding around it and seeping into space under and behind Jack before gradually letting himself reform, lifting Jack with him as he went.

     Jack didn’t wake, but he immediately turned over, pushing his head up under Gabriel’s chin as he curled up once more, tail moving to wrap Gabriel’s wrist. The sleepy beans had been forced to scatter to stop themselves from getting crushed, and Gabriel could hear their muted protests, and it wasn’t long before they had swarmed back up over them, little bundles of heat pressing in against them. The bean that had bitten him hopped up onto Jack’s shoulder and was now staring at him, eyes narrowed, and Gabriel was unsurprised when it growled “Die! Die! Die!” at him a moment later. Before he could retort, Jack’s tail had moved, releasing Gabriel in favour of curling around the bean and nudging it down to join the others. Peering at Jack’s face, Gabriel caught a sliver of blue as Jack blinked, glancing at him and yawning widely before settling against him once more, purring softly.

“They missed you….” Gabriel stared at the soft words, having thought that Jack was asleep once more and he made a disbelieving noise, only to be silenced, by Jack nudging him slightly, ears tickling his chin as they twitched.  “I missed you.”

 


End file.
